it. That was at first, just after we landed. Soon we had a skirmish with
the natives out there, and I got shot in the leg and otherwise wounded;
and for a long time I lay between life and death, only partly conscious;
and now I am discharged with a pension and a wooden leg."
"Then you can't go for a soldier again!" cried Salmon.
"Not I. I shall settle at Timberdale, I think, if I can meet with a
pretty little place to suit me. I found my poor mother dead when I
came home, and what was hers is now mine. And it will be a comfortable
living for us, Mamie, of itself: besides a few spare hundred pounds to
the good, some of which you shall be heartily welcome to, Mr. Lee, for
you look as if you wanted it. And the first thing I shall do, Mamie, my
dear, will be to nurse you back to health. Bless my heart! Not married!
I wish I had the handling of him that first set that idea afloat!"
"You'll get well now, Mamie," I whispered to her. For she was looking
better already.
"Oh, Master Johnny, perhaps I shall! How good God is to us! And,
James--James, this is the little one. I named her after you: Jemima."
"Peace on earth, and goodwill to men!" cried old Lee, in his
thankfulness. "The bells said it to-day."
And as I made off at last to catch up the Squire, the little Mima was
being smothered with kisses in her father's arms.
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!"
To every one of us, my friends, do the Christmas bells say it, as
Christmas Day comes round.
THE END.
LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, STAMFORD STREET AND
CHARING CROSS.
MRS. HENRY WOOD'S NOVELS.
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LONDON:
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(_Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen._)
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Errors in punctuation were corrected without comment.
The following corrections were made, on page
71 "wht" changed to "what" (only what I said before)
186 "accasion" changed to "occasion" (on occasion, and he would have)
192 "Cavasse" changed to "Chavasse" (So Lady Chavasse went)
235 "collegs" changed to "college" (trees of the college green)
275 "Timberdable" changed to "Timberdale" (Timberdale Rectory)
311 "acccount" changed to "account" (on his own account, he could)
329 "neighourhood" changed to "neighbourhood" (or place in the
neighbourhood)
334 "upstars" changed to "upstairs" (run upstairs to sit)
339 "bo" changed to "boo" (not-say-boo-to-a-goose voices)
368 "Richard's" changed to "Richards's" (just the opposite of
Richards's.)
410 "get's" changed to "gets" ("One gets no chance in this)
414 "at" added (We'll get it at Evesham.)
453 "letter" changed to "latter" (as the latter came out of)
456 "sheos" changed to "shoes" (and the old shoes, out at the toes).
Otherwise the original was preserved, including inconsistent spelling
and hyphenation.